We’ve had our hopes dashed before, but it’s now looking like a feature-length installment of Deadwood might actually be about to happen.
Deadline reported yesterday (April 9) that HBO has just been granted a $4.19 million tax incentive to film the movie in California, which may not sound very exciting, but in actual fact is very promising indeed.
To even apply for the tax credit (no, really — stay with us), a company needs a “finished script and financing in place,” so HBO must have both. Yay!
That a script is floating around isn’t a big surprise: Creator David Milch have been talking about a Deadwood movie ever since HBO pulled the plug on the series in 2006 after three seasons.
But while Deadwood is often cited as one of the network’s greatest ever dramas, its path to feature-length glory has been far from straightforward. In the last few years, rumors about a potential movie have been gathering strength, with star Ian McShane letting slip last year that HBO have “got the script,” then dodging the question on Late Night with Seth Meyer.
But then just last week, Santa Clarita Diet star Timothy Olyphant, who played volatile sheriff and store owner Seth Bullock in the show, disappointed fans when he was quoted as saying there was “no way” a Deadwood movie would see the light of day.
This latest news suggests he’s a little out of the loop. Not only does it look like a movie is going to happen, but it might be start filming soon too. California law dictates that principal photography has to begin within 180 days of a project being approved for tax credit — barring “special circumstances,” that is — meaning the Deadwood movie will likely start filming by October.
Are you ready to return to Deadwood?
